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Blue Moves
| genre = Rock, pop rock, soft rock, progressive rock | length = 84:47 | label = MCA / Rocket (US) Rocket (UK) | producer = Gus Dudgeon | prev_title = Here and There | prev_year = 1976 | next_title = Greatest Hits Volume II | next_year = 1977 | misc = }} Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album release by Elton John. It was released in October 1976. It was John's second double album (after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and the first to be released by his own label, Rocket Records Ltd. Despite the album's darker tone, it reached no. 3 on the charts. Background Having completed what he described as a "gruelling American tour", John only gave a handful of performances at the time of release, and later announced (during a charity concert at Wembley Arena the following year), "I haven't been touring for a long time. It's been a painful decision, whether to come back on the road or not... I've made a decision tonight – this is going to be the last show... There's a lot more to me than playing on the road." He accordingly left the touring/live performing scene for a brief period, whilst Kenny Passarelli, Caleb Quaye, James Newton-Howard and Roger Pope left the band after the album's release. Newton-Howard would briefly rejoin John's touring band in 1980. Only Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper returned in limited roles for John's next album, A Single Man. John has stated that Blue Moves is one of his favourites of the albums he has recorded.Elton John: Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, 1987. It was the last album Gus Dudgeon produced with John for almost a decade. The cover art is from a painting by British artist Patrick Procktor, called "The Guardian Readers". In the U.S., it was certified gold in October and platinum in December 1976 by the RIAA. "Cage the Songbird" was a tribute to legendary French songstress Edith Piaf, and a year or so later was covered by Kiki Dee on an unreleased Rocket album, which finally was issued in 2008. ("Songbird" originated as part of the Rock of the Westies sessions, but was not completed during them, probably because the song's acoustic, delicate sound did not fit with the more rock 'n' roll approach of the rest of the songs that made the Westies final track list.) The Beach Boys turned down "Chameleon" (which was written two years prior to the album's release), but Bruce Johnston, a former Beach Boy, performed backing vocals on John's version along with Toni Tennille. John also performed the song at Wembley Stadium in 1975, where he also performed the Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album in its entirety. An excerpt from "Out of the Blue" was used for the closing titles on Top Gear until the end of that Top Gear format (in 2001). This was one of two albums in which Davey Johnstone does not provide backing vocals; 1997's The Big Picture would be the other. Blue Moves was initially recorded in Toronto, Ontario. John has played several songs from Blue Moves live: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", "Bite Your Lip", "One Horse Town", "Tonight", "Idol" and "Crazy Water" have been played during various concert appearances through the years. Reception |title=Blue Moves – Elton John |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=7 February 2012}} |rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide |rev2Score = C |rev3 = Rolling Stone |rev3score = (not rated) |rev4 = Sputnik Music |rev4score = }} Blue Moves has received negative reviews since its release. A contemporary review for Rolling Stone said the album "contains nowhere near enough good songs to justify the extended length" and that the interludes and instrumentals were done "to the exclusion of sense." Village Voice critic Robert Christgau described it as "impossibly weepy" and "excessive". Lindsay Planer of Allmusic later said the album showed the "inevitable fatigue" of John's "immense creativity" that had helped create his previous albums of his career. Track listing All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted. ;Side one #"Your Starter for..." (Caleb Quaye) – 1:23 #"Tonight" – 7:52 #"One Horse Town" (John, James Newton Howard, Taupin) – 5:56 #"Chameleon" – 5:27 ;Side two #"Boogie Pilgrim" (John, Davey Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) – 6:05 #"Cage the Songbird" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) – 3:25 #"Crazy Water" – 5:42 #"Shoulder Holster" – 5:10 ;Side three #"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:48 #"Out of the Blue" – 6:14 #"Between Seventeen and Twenty" (John, Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) – 5:17 #"The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" (John, Johnstone, Newton Howard, Quaye, Taupin) – 3:27 #"Someone's Final Song" – 4:10 ;Side four #"Where's the Shoorah?" – 4:09 #"If There's a God in Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) – 4:25 #"Idol" – 4:08 #"Theme from a Non-Existent TV Series" – 1:19 #"Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" – 6:43 Initial CD versions of the album maintain the same running order, but omit the following tracks: "Shoulder Holster", "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing", "Out of the Blue", and "Where's the Shoorah?" It has since been remastered and re-released as a 2-CD set retaining the original LP track listing. Personnel Track numbering refers to the 2-CD and digital releases of the album. *Elton John – piano (1-5, 7-10, 13-16, 18), vocals (2-9, 12-16, 18), vocalese (11), harmonium (14), harpsichord (17) *Curt Becher – backing vocals (4, 10, 11, 13), BGV arrangement (11, 13) *Harry Bluestone – strings leader (18) *Michael Brecker – saxophone (5, 8, 16) *Randy Brecker – trumpet (5, 8, 16) *Paul Buckmaster – string arrangements and conductor (3, 7, 15), brass arrangements (7) *Cindy Bullens – backing vocals (4, 7, 11) *Clark Burroughs – backing vocals (13) *Joe Chemay – backing vocals (11, 13) *Rev. James Cleveland – choir director (5, 14, 18) *Ray Cooper – glockenspiel (1, 17), marimba (1, 17), gong (3), tambourine (3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 15), vibraphone (3, 4, 9, 10), bells (3), shaker (4, 6, 11), triangle (6), finger cymbals (6), congas (7, 10, 11, 15, 18), rototom (12) *The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church and the Southern California Community Choir – choirs (5, 14, 18) *David Crosby – backing vocals (6, 12) *Daryl Dragon – BGV arrangement (7) *The Martyn Ford Orchestra – strings (3, 7, 15), brass (7) *Carl Fortina – accordion (8) *Ron Hicklin – backing vocals (4, 7) *Michael Hurwitz – cello (3) *Bruce Johnston – backing vocals (4, 7, 10, 11, 13), BGV arrangement (4, 11, 13) *Davey Johnstone – mandolin (2, 11, 17), electric guitar (3, 7, 10, 15), slide guitar (5, 18), acoustic guitar (6), dulcimer (6), sitar (12), slide guitar (18) *Jon Joyce – backing vocals (4, 7, 11) *The London Symphony Orchestra – strings (2, 9) *Gene Morford – backing vocals (4, 7) *Graham Nash – backing vocals (6, 12) *James Newton-Howard – synthesizer (1, 3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 17, 18), piano, Fender Rhodes (3, 9, 13, 17), Hammond organ (5, 11, 15), mellotron (6), clavinet (7) *The Gene Page Strings – strings (18) *Kenny Passarelli – bass guitar (1, 3, 4, 5, 7-11, 14-18) *Roger Pope – drums (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15-18) *Caleb Quaye – acoustic guitar (1, 4, 6, 12, 17), electric guitar (3, 4, 7, 10, 11, 15, 18), guitar solo (3, 10, 15), twelve-string guitar (12) *Barry Rogers – trombone (5, 8, 16) *David Sanborn – saxophone (5, 8, 16) *Richard Studt – strings leader (3, 7, 12, 15), brass leader (7) *Toni Tennille – backing vocals (4, 7, 10, 13) Production *Producer, Liner Notes – Gus Dudgeon *Engineers – Arun Chakraverty, Gus Dudgeon, Mark Howlett, John Kurlander, Earle Mankey and John Stewart. *Mixing – Phil Dunne *Remixing – Gus Dudgeon and Phil Dunne *Cutting Engineer – Arun Chakraverty *Art Direction and Coordination – David Costa *Photography – David Nutter *Painting – Patrick Procktor *Management – John Reid Certifications |certyear=1977|recent=false}} Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts References Category:Elton John albums Category:1976 albums Category:Albums arranged by Paul Buckmaster Category:Albums produced by Gus Dudgeon Category:The Rocket Record Company albums Category:MCA Records albums Category:Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios Category:Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders